POPE LEO XIV HONORS ARMENIAN CHRISTIAN WITNESS IN ISTANBUL AS ARMENIAN CHURCH FACES GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN
Pope Leo XIV praised the endurance and faith of the Armenian people during a visit to Istanbul on November 30, 2025, where he addressed the Armenian Apostolic community at their cathedral, a diaspora church rooted in a country where Armenians suffered genocide under the Ottoman Empire.
Standing inside the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, the spiritual seat of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople, Pope Leo called for renewed unity between Christian churches. He thanked God for "the courageous Christian witness of the Armenian people throughout history, often amid tragic circumstances."
The pope's remarks followed a liturgical program that included a joint prayer, chanting, and an exchange of gifts with Patriarch Sahak II Mashalian, head of the Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey, according to Catholic News Agency.
The two leaders also marked the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church which produced the Nicene Creed and established foundational doctrines. Pope Leo said these should guide efforts to recover unity between the Church of Rome and "ancient Oriental Churches."
The pope emphasized that full communion did not mean absorption or domination but rather an exchange of gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit. He also invoked the memory of Armenian saint Nerses IV Shnorhali, whose 850th death anniversary was commemorated recently. Shnorhali was a 12th century Catholicos, or head of the Armenian Church, known for his poetry and theological writings and efforts to promote unity with other Christian traditions.
Istanbul's Armenian Patriarchate has long operated with internal independence but remains under the spiritual authority of the Catholicos of All Armenians in Echmiadzin, the worldwide head of the Armenian Apostolic Church headquartered in Armenia. Turkey's Armenian community, now centered largely in Istanbul, has declined over generations but continues to maintain its identity through religious and cultural institutions.
Later in the day, the pope visited the Orthodox Patriarchal Church of St. George to attend the divine liturgy for the feast of St. Andrew. Addressing the faithful, he acknowledged ongoing divisions between Christian churches but said the pursuit of unity must continue. "There are still obstacles preventing us from achieving full communion. Nevertheless, we must not relent in striving towards unity," he said.
The liturgy concluded with an ecumenical blessing delivered jointly with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world's Eastern Orthodox Christians.
The visit comes during a turbulent time for the Armenian Apostolic Church, whose leadership in Armenia faces mounting pressure from the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Over the past year, at least three senior clerics have been arrested on charges ranging from theft to plotting a coup.
Human rights advocates claim the arrests are politically motivated and part of a larger crackdown on church leaders who have criticized Pashinyan's handling of the conflict with Azerbaijan, especially after the fall of Nagorno Karabakh and the displacement of over 120,000 Armenians.
Among those arrested was Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the Sacred Struggle opposition movement, who was charged with attempting to overthrow the government based on what some civil society groups have described as misleading audio recordings.
Businessman Samvel Karapetyan, a longtime philanthropist of the Armenian Church, was arrested in June after expressing support for the clergy. His family's business holdings including Electric Networks of Armenia and a local pizza chain have since come under government scrutiny. Karapetyan remains in pretrial detention, accused of making unconstitutional public calls to seize state power.
Other church leaders including Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan of the Diocese of Aragatsotn were detained in October along with over a dozen others. Proshyan faces charges of coercing citizens into attending protests and misusing church funds. The Armenian Apostolic Church has denied the charges and called the case an attempt to obstruct its work.
At a recent briefing in Washington DC hosted by the National Democratic Alliance, speakers warned that the arrests jeopardize Armenia's constitutional order and its relationship with Western allies.
Joel Veldkamp of Christian Solidarity International said Armenia's civil society is being "pulverized" under an increasingly authoritarian system. He pointed to the US brokered August peace deal with Azerbaijan and expressed concern that Pashinyan's campaign against church leaders could endanger both internal stability and foreign partnerships.
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
He knows what those words mean.
Every Armenian knows.
One and a half million of our ancestors were murdered by the Ottoman Turks.
Marched into the desert.
Starved.
Shot.
Raped.
Burned alive.
The genocide that Turkey still refuses to acknowledge.
And now the Pope stands in Istanbul, in the cathedral built by Armenian survivors, and praises our witness amid tragedy.
We appreciate the recognition.
But our Church is under attack again.
Not from Turkey this time.
From our own government in Armenia.
Prime Minister Pashinyan is arresting bishops, archbishops, and clergy on false charges.
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan arrested for opposing the government.
Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan detained with a dozen others.
Businessman Samvel Karapetyan jailed for supporting the Church.
This is what happens when you criticize how Pashinyan surrendered Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan.
One hundred twenty thousand Armenians displaced.
Our ancient Christian lands given away.
And when the Church objected, Pashinyan arrested the clergy.
The Pope praised our courageous witness.
We need more than praise.
We need the world to see that Armenia's government is destroying the Armenian Apostolic Church that survived genocide, Soviet persecution, and a thousand years of Muslim oppression.
Our witness continues.
But we are being crushed by our own leaders.
TAKE ACTION
- Demand release of arrested Armenian clergy by contacting the Armenian Embassy and Prime Minister Pashinyan's office insisting on freedom for Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, Samvel Karapetyan, and all detained church leaders facing politically motivated charges.
- Armenian Embassy USA: armenia@armeniaemb.org
- Phone: 202 319 1976
- Support the Armenian Apostolic Church through Christian Solidarity International and other organizations monitoring religious freedom violations in Armenia and advocating for clergy imprisoned for criticizing government policies regarding Azerbaijan.
- Christian Solidarity International: www.csi.org
- Email: csi@csi.org
- Contact US State Department demanding American pressure on Armenia to stop arresting church leaders and respect religious freedom. Remind officials that Armenia is supposed to be a democratic ally, not an authoritarian regime persecuting Christians.
- State Department: www.state.gov
- Pray for Armenia's persecuted church leaders facing false charges of coup plotting, theft, and coercion for opposing Pashinyan's surrender of Nagorno Karabakh. Pray for their release, for protection of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and for justice for 120,000 displaced Armenians.
